Kimberly Richardson, known as Kimmie Rich, is 34 and lives in the Fondren area of Jackson. She runs Rich Fitness Studio at 2727 Old Canton Road with business partner Cortney Davis. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Jackson State University and taught for a while. She moved away but eventually returned to Jackson to open her studio.

Growing up, I loved being active! I was never what I would consider to be lean, but I played outside as a kid, enjoyed sports like track and volleyball throughout high school, and loved taking group fitness classes as a young adult.

It was my newfound independence upon graduating from college that began my weight gain. I was a new schoolteacher, new wife and new to living away from mom and dad. I could have chocolate cake every night if I wanted to, and I did. It didn't take long for me to grow from a curvy size 14 to a full-sized 22.

Over the years that followed, I tried everything to lose weight: health plans, nutritionists, fad diets and prescriptions. Nothing worked.

Little by little I realized that I wasn't living. I was on medication to sleep, my blood pressure was elevated, and I was often out of breath and in pain. Finally I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, but a year later, I was still fat. That's when I had enough — to have gone through all that and be now borderline obese!

That's when I got off my butt and got in the gym. I lived in the gym. I got a lot of things wrong, but I was determined. I downloaded workouts, ordered DVDs, watched what others were doing. I grew to really love working out once I knew how to do it more effectively.

I ended up being in the gym so much that I was approached by one gym's group exercise director to consider getting certified to teach a dance class. That certification soon led to others, and before I knew it, I had a new profession.

I love helping others develop a healthy and fit lifestyle. Knowledge makes a life-changing difference, especially when it comes to health. So I made the decision to move back to Mississippi and open Rich Fitness. I started out really small, training in my living room. As clients started seeing results, my numbers grew.

At the beginning of the year I started looking for a commercial space to train in, and with that transition I took on more clients, had more opportunities to become available and took on a business partner. It's amazing to see your dream grow and come to life right before your eyes!

As for my diet, I like to keep it simple. My basic formula is lean meat like chicken and fish, and whey protein; plus a complex carb like brown rice or sweet potatoes; and something green, such as asparagus, string beans or broccoli. I bake, grill or broil.

Sweets are usually of little interest to me. Don't get me wrong — I still enjoy those high fat/low nutrition items like everyone else. I'm just not going to enjoy them every day. It takes forever to work that off!

My Workout

Currently my fitness plan is much like what we provide for our clients: strength training, high intensity interval training, and a variety of cardio that includes distance running, circuit work and the occasional dancing.

The Me File

What I'm reading

Currently I am reading "Good To Great" by Jim Collins. I attend Word of Life Church, and our pastor highly recommends it.